


The Christmas Party

by allineedisaquill



Category: Peter Kay's Car Share (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Party, Developing Friendships, Gen, Headcanon, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-01
Updated: 2017-06-01
Packaged: 2018-11-07 20:16:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11066340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allineedisaquill/pseuds/allineedisaquill
Summary: What happened at that infamous Christmas Party where John danced to Gloria Gaynor?





	The Christmas Party

**Author's Note:**

> I had this headcanon and ran with it, I think it's pretty cute!

The Christmas party is decent, Kayleigh supposes. There’s a free bar and plenty of sour cream & onion Pringles so she can’t complain too much. The hired DJ is also playing the songs she likes which is a bonus. She sits at the back of the room amongst the other tables and watches people out on the dance floor, letting their hair down under spinning disco lights with drinks in their hands. She’d dance too but her feet are killing in her heels.

She’s dressed as one of Santa’s elves, sporting a festive green dress with matching heels and a large comical hat with a bell on the end. Elsie, slurping her third cocktail of the night beside her, is dressed as Mrs Claus. Obviously.

“Can you believe nobody’s asked me to dance all night?” Elsie drawls, leaning forward and swirling her straw around her glass.

Kayleigh sighs, moving her own straw away from her lips. “I know!” She says, then shrugs and tilts her head to the side. “Not sure I want to anyway, no offence but there’s hardly anyone here that catches my eye. I’m thinking of giving that online dating thing a whirl. Have you tried it, Els?” 

Elsie giggles. “I wouldn’t mind that Raymond fella,” she says, and Kayleigh turns her head and retches in disgust. Elsie pays her no mind. “I don’t believe in online dating, you never know what weirdo is gonna show up. I like to know what I’m getting myself into, the old-fashioned way.” 

Her answer isn’t that surprising. Kayleigh takes another draw of her drink and watches on as people continue dancing and laughing. Old Ted is giving it his all to the end of ‘Celebration’ by Kool & The Gang and she smiles at the sight.

“Aw, I love Old Ted,” she tells Elsie.

“Aye, he’s one in a million, that man,” the older woman agrees, then she gets up from her seat. “Just gonna powder my nose,” she says, tapping it and smearing her foundation a little before stumbling away towards the toilets.

Kayleigh watches her go and shakes her head fondly.

The song changes to Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I Am What I Am’ and Kayleigh laughs knowing Elsie will kick herself for missing this one.

She raises her eyebrows when she sees someone take to the dance floor who she hadn’t expected to see at all, never mind in the drunken state he’s in. It’s none other than John Redmond, assistant manager, self-proclaimed tea-total. 

“Bloody hell,” Kayleigh says, smiling to herself. She hasn’t seen John around work in about a month and she’s surprised to feel her stomach flutter at the sight of him again, dressed in a regular white shirt and loosened tie. It’s strange to see the usually rather uptight and reserved man dance like he hasn’t got a care in the world.

 _Maybe there’s more to him than meets the eye_ , Kayleigh thinks.

“Embarrassing if you ask me,” a voice sounds from the next table over.

It’s Diane off non-foods and Kayleigh does her best not to look instantly annoyed. The woman is a notorious gossip and wouldn’t know the truth about anything if it hit her on the head. 

_I didn’t ask you, thank you very much._

“Still lives with his mum apparently, finally out of the closet as well by the looks.” Diane turns her nose up and glances back at John in distaste.

“Why don’t you mind your own business, you nosy cow? What’s it to you if the man’s gay? It’ll be more action from a man than you’ll get with an attitude like that,” Elsie remarks sharply on her return, resuming her seat next to Kayleigh with a fresh drink in hand. Diane makes a swift exit after that.

Kayleigh doesn’t know John all that well; they’ve spoken whenever necessary at work and she recalls him always being decent and friendly, and she vaguely remembers him having a family bereavement. It dawns on her that he’s probably only just back from emotional leave and that’s why she hasn’t seen him around the supermarket in a while. She bites her lip sorrowfully.

“Is that John bloody Redmond?” Elsie asks, squinting at the dance floor.

“Uh, yeah,” Kayleigh nods, looking down at her drink nonchalantly.

She feels Elsie nudge her in the side playfully. “Say, isn’t he the one you’ve had your keen eye on? I thought nobody took your fancy here?” The older woman teases, laughing loudly. 

Kayleigh swats her away. “Don’t be daft, I hardly know the man!” She replies defensively. “Besides, he might not be interested according to Diane.” 

“Diane doesn’t know her arse from her elbow,” Elsie reminds her. “I’m gonna go and get another drink, are you havin’ the same again?” She asks. 

Elsie’s only just got another drink but Kayleigh nods anyway, looking forward to downing another cheeky Vimto to forget her loneliness and misery and rehearsed lines for 2 for 1 offers on Walkers crisps.

As her friend disappears, there’s a commotion on the dance floor and she turns her head just in time to see John fall in the middle of a crowd of co-workers. Kayleigh lets out a huge gasp and covers her mouth with her hand, scrambling up from her seat before she can think twice about it.

“Oh my god, are you okay?” She asks as John mumbles incoherently to himself with his face slack from alcohol. Everyone around them clears some space, watching on in shock as they talk amongst themselves. She cringes at the thought of the shop floor gossip she’ll be met with on Monday morning.

She offers her hands and John takes them, allowing Kayleigh to haul him up and catch him around the waist with a steady arm. He’s warm against her.

“Come on, let’s get you some fresh air,” she says gently, and it’s a struggle as she leads them blindly towards the double doors of the exit. She curses everyone they leave behind as not one of them offers to help her.

 _Nob-rashes, lot of you_ , she thinks bitterly.

They make it with no further injuries, thankfully, and Kayleigh props him sturdily against the brick wall outside. The air is chilly and her knees knock a bit in her short dress, but she sees John come to his senses a little which is relieving.

“Christ, that hurt,” he groans, stretching against the wall. “I’ll feel that in the morning.” His head tilts towards the sky and he closes his eyes, trying his hardest not to sway from side to side or fall over completely.

Kayleigh touches his arm gently. “Shall I call you a taxi? You should go home, sleep it off,” she suggests, her protective nature taking over.

He glances down at her, looking guilty. “Would y’mind?” 

“Nah, it’s no bother, honestly,” she assures, pulling her phone out of her bag.

* * *

She calls the taxi after managing to pull John’s address from him and shoves her phone back into her bag, shrugging it further onto her shoulder. 

“Be about ten minutes,” she tells him.

He nods from the same position against the wall. “Sorry, like,” he says sheepishly. “Y’know, for you having to help me and that.”

Kayleigh doesn’t have the heart to tease, suspecting the sensitive reason for John’s out-of-character behaviour. She smiles and rubs his arm comfortingly instead.

“Don’t worry about it, just worry about getting home alright,” she tells him.

“Hmm,” he hums to himself, closing his eyes again.

The taxi turns up in five minutes instead of ten and she helps John into the back seat, closing the door behind him. She neglects to tell him about the tenner she shoved into his pocket to cover the fare, thinking it’s for the best.

She watches the taxi drive away with a funny feeling in her stomach until it’s no longer in sight, then she turns on her heel and returns to the warmth of the party to find Elsie and get her drink. She’s certainly ready for it now.

* * *

When Kayleigh sees the list of names paired for the new Car Share scheme the following Summer, she’s equal parts nervous and thrilled to see John’s name beside hers. They haven’t spoken since Christmas.

 _Well, this should be interesting_ , she thinks.

**Author's Note:**

> For more Car Share content, follow my Tumblr [@kayleighkitson](https://kayleighkitson.tumblr.com/).


End file.
